Floodwaters engulfed the mine in the city of Xintai in Shandong Province on Friday in the latest tragedy to strike China's mining industry, which has one of the poorest safety records in the world.

A crowd of 200 people, angry at the lack of information, toppled an iron fence at the south gate of the mine early Sunday as rumours swirled that the rescue had been called off.

Several relatives broke into the compound of the Zhangzhuang mine where clashes ensued with security personnel.

"I heard they stopped pumping out water from the mine. It is the same as saying they have given up," Zhou Feng, 25, whose father is in the mine, told AFP.

Heartbreaking scenes played out as relatives asked to be let inside, only to be turned down by stone-faced officials.

"Save my little brother. Get him out," screamed 54-year-old Li Xuehua, as she was propped up by two relatives.

Nineteen-year-old Zhou Jun travelled more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the coastal city of Qingdao to be close to his trapped father, but collapsed and was rushed to hospital when he was given no news of him.

At the west gate, another crowd of relatives scuffled with uniformed police and some threw rocks at the main administration building. No injuries were reported but witnesses said the mood was ugly.

"What are you doing here? Move on," one police officer said.

Torrential rains triggered flooding on Friday which breached a river levee and sent water cascading into the mine via an old shaft of the mine in Xintai, some 450 kilometres (280 miles) south of Beijing, Xinhua news agency reported.

Over 750 miners were underground when the water swept in and many managed to escape, but some 172 remained trapped. Another nine were trapped in a nearby mine after similar flooding.

Xinhua said rescue teams battled all day Saturday to reach the men after President Hu Jintao urged them to "take all necessary measures to rescue the trapped miners."

State media reported later Sunday that work on repairing the Wen River levee had been completed, allowing rescuers to focus on pumping operations.

But officials said there was little hope for the trapped men and there were few signs of further rescue activity.

However, relatives were kept in the dark.

"I am here to get an explanation. All they have been doing so far is keeping the news inside. We don't know if there are any survivors and someone should keep us better informed," said Zhang Tao who was seeking news about his missing uncle.

As one old woman wailed in grief inside the mine compound, another middle aged woman also complained that relatives had been given no information.

Zhao Fuju said she was desperate for word of her missing brother.

"I arrived here this morning. But we have had no information about what is going on at all," she told AFP.

A 10-year-old boy, Ge Tang, said he knew nothing about the fate of his father, Ge Yunguo, missing in the mine since Friday.

"I am sure I will see my dad again," he said between sobs. "When I see him, the first thing I will tell him is how much I missed him."

China's coal mines are some of the most dangerous in the world and fatal accidents happen almost every day.

More than 4,700 workers died last year, according to official figures, but independent labour groups put the real toll at up to 20,000 annually, saying many accidents are covered up.

Coal currently accounts for some 70 percent of the nation's primary energy consumption, more than 40 percentage points higher than the world average.

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